Your Responsibilities as a Commissioner
No doubt you now know that the roles and duties of county commissioners are numerous and varied. It is imperative that commissioners be knowledgeable about each level of responsibility they are expected to carry out as they guide the county decision-making process. This chapter covers some of those responsibilities that you must discharge.
The board of county commissioners consists of three members that serve as full-time executives and legislators or policy makers. State law does allow counties with a population of 300,000 or more to increase the size of the board to five members, but no counties of that size in the state have increased their board size.
Many boards of commissioners have hired professional assistants to act as administrators for the board. These positions have different titles including: county administrator, chief administrative officer, administrative services director, or budget director. Although their responsibilities may vary, the people serving in these positions work on a daily basis with the commissioners and the other elected and appointed officials to carry out the policy directions of the board and to supervise and coordinate the work of the other officials and staff.
The primary legislative powers of the board of commissioners are found in RCW 36.32.120. The powers include: construction and maintenance of public buildings; granting licenses; fixing the tax levies for the county and having the same collected; authorizing payments owed by the county and auditing all officers having control of county monies; managing county property and county funds; prosecuting and defending all actions for and against the county; and making and enforcing by appropriate resolutions and ordinances and all such police and sanitary regulations not in conflict with state law.
As a practical matter, construction and maintenance of the county roads and bridges has been and continues to be an important responsibility of the board of commissioners.
Policy-Making Role
Policy-making is defined as the development of high level overall plans embracing general goals and acceptable procedures for county government. It is also a definite course or method of action selected from among all alternatives in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions. Your role as a commissioner requires that you set policy for the county.
Goal-setting and Long Range Planning
The public expects county commissioners to influence the direction of county government, and the direction that the county takes through policy decisions will have an impact on the lives of its citizens. Of the three categories of duties outlined in this chapter, policy-making is probably the most abstract and difficult to discharge. Unfortunately, there is no cookbook approach for county policy-making. The key to successful policy-making is to "see the forest through the trees," and to keep in mind the mission of the organization and the long-range future of the community.
Gaining sufficient public, county official, and staff support for your effort is essential to effective policy-making. Setting goals or setting a course for action (or inaction) is your tool for long-range policy making, and for determining the direction of the county organization. Whether it is land use, finances, or county facilities, decisions made by the board of commissioners will set the future direction for the county. It is essential to recognize competing interests and develop public and staff support by involving them and finding ways to incorporate their interests and ideas.
The process for setting goals varies greatly from county to county and from board to board. Implementing the traditional approach to goal setting, which involves hiring a consultant, and having a retreat, is difficult in a county because there are too many services and an unconventional organizational structure. However, many elements of the traditional approach, outlined below are applicable to county government:
1. Identifying issues and needs;
2. setting goals;
3. determining strategies;
4. setting priorities;
5. accomplishing the work;
6. evaluating the results.
The structure of county government is designed to distribute the power throughout the organization to avoid abuse of power. Its design generates conflict, disagreement, discussion and debate. As a result, agreement on goals, strategies, and priorities is very difficult to obtain. For example, look at the roles of the prosecuting attorney and the public defender. Because the court system is adversarial, it would appear that the mission of each office is to defeat each other in court. Their common goal is to carry out justice, but trying to get those offices to agree on needs, goals, and strategies is very difficult. This doesn't mean effort should not be made at a higher level. This diversity and conflict is even more reason why a common sense of mission and goals is important.
The burden of setting the county's strategic course rests with the county commissioners. When things go wrong, when the pothole doesn't get patched, or the jail is over-crowded, the county commissioners are often blamed. Of all the elected officials, the commissioners must provide overall organizational leadership and create the path to better management. With the complexity of today's issues, combined with the scarcity of resources and the impatience of the public, commissioners must strategically set priorities and goals and then attempt to direct the organization towards those goals.
Making Policy Through the Budget
Adopting the county budget is one of the most important tools you have as commissioner to affect policy direction. Because of the fragmentation of authority in county government, the budget is the most visible vehicle to set policy and achieve goals for the organization and the citizens. State laws require that the board of county commissioners adopt a budget each year or, optionally, every other year in the case of a biennial budget. This comprehensive document sets the limits for spending for every program and department in the organization.
The Budget Cycle
The county budget cycle typically starts in the spring or summer with an estimate of income for the next year. Using this baseline, commissioners then set guidelines for submitting spending proposals. These guidelines might address the level of salaries, expansion of programs, or reduction in spending. Spending proposals are submitted by elected officials and appointed managers in mid-August. These proposals are reviewed by the board of commissioners throughout the fall. Final adoption of the budget occurs in December. Most budget decisions continue previously set policies or confirm policies adopted at other government levels. Decisions to set new policies are typically incremental and at the margins of the entire budget.
Theory and Practice
In theory, broad goals are developed by the board early on as the framework for the annual budget process. In reality, budget emergencies throughout the year can often have a more dramatic impact on policy than the annual budget development process. Department heads, elected officials, and community groups often come to the board of commissioners with unforeseen financial needs during the budget year. An isolated spending request is difficult to link with spending priorities which have been considered as a whole during the formal budget process. This incremental policy-making is common and often necessary. However, it makes the job more difficult for those who must appropriate the funds. Be sparing with budget promises. There is often very little discretion in budget decision-making, given the volume of state mandates and restrictions on the use of income. Creating a contingency set-aside budget appropriation for these emergent issues and aggregating them in quarterly budget revision ordinances often pays dividends for the board. All the players then know there is a limited amount of discretionary dollars for all county contingencies and that they must be carefully weighed against all other issues.
Fund Structure
The complex fund structure of counties makes the overall weighing of priorities more difficult. There may be as many as 40 to 80 separate funds, most of which are dedicated to specific purposes. It is like having 40 or more separate companies, each with a separate set of books. As a new commissioner, you will benefit greatly from studying your county's fund structure and learning which programs are funded from each fund.
The general fund is often referred to as the current expense fund. It typically includes most of the criminal justice responsibilities, the remaining elected officials responsibilities, and zoning and building code enforcement responsibilities. It is where most of the "action" occurs in the budget process.
The next most important fund is typically the road fund. It is referred to as a special revenue fund used to account for the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. Decision-making is often far less rigorous for this fund than the current expense fund, since it has dedicated revenues and limited purposes. There are far fewer officials competing for the dollars. This is true for most all other funds as well.
Other Special Revenue Funds
Other common special revenue funds include veterans relief, county fair, public health, law library, auditor's operations and maintenance, parks, elections, human services, and emergency management.
Debt Service Funds
There are also debt service funds used to accumulate debt service payments, capital projects funds for major capital improvements, proprietary funds expected to develop equity and operate like a business, and internal service funds for financing internal service operations.
An occasional review of the BARS manual published by the State Auditor's Office will familiarize you with the fund structure, accounting issues, and budgeting procedures mandated by the state for all local governments. Your auditor or financial manager will have a copy.
County Finance Committee
Finally, in developing long-term financial goals and policies, consider using the county finance committee for recommendations. The committee is established by RCW 36.48.070 to approve county investment policies, and it consists of the chair of the board, the treasurer, and the auditor. It can be a creative vehicle for the development of other important financial policies to keep the county financially sound.
Environmental and Land Use Policy-Making
Setting environmental and land use policy, especially in the 1990s with the passage of the Growth Management Act (GMA), is another challenging issue area for county commissioners. A broad understanding of land use issues is essential if you wish to be an effective commissioner. In most mid-size to larger counties with urbanized areas, commissioners spend a great deal of time working on land use policy. Citizen participation is encouraged in shaping land use policies under the GMA, and much of the input from constituents will continue to be on environmental and land use issues. Difficulty with land use planning issues has been brought to the forefront with growth management, and it is likely to remain a difficult area for commissioners to find community consensus.
An informed and trusted legal advisor is one of a new county commissioner's best assets. The county prosecutor is the legal advisor to the board. The civil staff of the prosecuting attorney's office is usually assigned to assist in land use matters. With approval from the prosecutor, many counties have hired legal firms that specialize in land use law to assist in negotiating the complexities of growth management.
Another important asset in setting land use policy is staff that you trust. Give your professional staff a chance to assist by making board expectations clear. Often the board of commissioners sets a general direction, and skilled staff will make clear the choices available in deciding a land use issue. The planning staff is sometimes demonized for merely carrying out policies set by their superiors. Give them the support they need, and their work can deflect much political heat from the board.
Policy Making on Non-County Boards
State law requires that commissioners serve on boards of other public organizations. Public transit and health district boards both require commissioner participation. Regional support networks for mental health, regional transportation planning councils, housing authorities, air pollution control authorities, and area agencies on aging are all governed by county officials who compose all or part of their governing boards. There are many more such organizations, some unique to a particular county. Be sure to understand and discharge your fiduciary responsibilities when serving on these bodies. You are held to the same level of public trust as in your county responsibilities.
Each of these boards set policy for complex and highly specialized services. Most are highly regulated by and receive money from the state and federal governments. The boards often meet monthly and usually have a wide diversity of membership. Contact with management staff is often limited to the board meetings or to the telephone. Given these characteristics, the traditional approach to goal-setting is most appropriate for these organizations. Set goals at an annual retreat, and let staff implement them. There is a danger you could over-commit on these boards. Before committing a lot of time, assess the benefits. Finally, communicate the activity of these boards with the other commissioners by making good reports.
Executive Duties
The board of commissioners not only sets policy but is also responsible for its implementation. Commissioners are the chief executives of the county organization. The executive role of a commissioner varies greatly from county to county. The role may be determined by prior executive experience, or it might be tailored to the particular circumstances in the county. It may be defined by the existing commissioners or by historical tradition.
Sometimes a long-tenured commissioner becomes quite skilled in the executive duties of the office and evolves into an unofficial county executive. In other instances these executive duties may be delegated to a team of appointed department heads or to a single county administrator. Most counties have either a county administrator or a staff person that assists the commissioners with executive duties. These positions have different titles and sets of responsibilities, but administrator, budget director, administrative services director, and coordinator are among the titles used.
Hiring and Supervising Management Staff
Regardless of the organizational structure, you and your board have a role in hiring and supervising your management staff. Who you hire and how they perform reflects directly on the performance of the board. Remember, with skilled and trusted management staff running the day-to-day affairs of the county, you will have more time and energy available to work on challenging policy issues and other important leadership activities. It is also beneficial to have a person who can act as a sounding board for new ideas or approaches and for problem solving, since doing the same with another commissioner may constitute a meeting under the Open Public Meetings Act.
Your management staff can be hired with the help of other county administrative staff, typically personnel or human resources support. Often a group interview process with other elected officials and managers is a good idea. Recruiting and selecting a county government administrator requires careful planning, astute evaluation of candidates, and a clear understanding of community needs and the style of manager who can best work with the elected officials. Patience is also important since recruitment can take up to six months, from the time the process begins until the position is filled with a person on the job.
Once hired, your management staff require active supervision. This includes setting clear expectations, encouraging teamwork and cooperation, and evaluating the work that is done. Supervision is most effective when done by the commissioners as a team. Team supervision of one or more employees can be a challenge. Conflict among commissioners is not uncommon when it comes to reviewing staff performance. It is preferable to invest the necessary time up front setting explicit staff and management expectations rather than reacting when unstated expectations are not met.
This investment means regularly spending time in formal work sessions, with every person reporting directly to the commissioners. In these work sessions, progress towards goals and possible performance problems can be discussed. A written performance evaluation, at least annually, is also recommended. The performance evaluation should address whether pre-established goals and expectations have been met and should cite areas of concern and need for improvement, if appropriate.
Other Duties
Other executive duties of the commissioners may vary greatly. They may include negotiating contracts with labor unions and vendors, interviewing and selecting consultants or managing construction projects. In conclusion, your executive and administrative responsibilities can be very time consuming. Each county board of commissioners should seriously consider hiring professional staff for managing the day-to-day affairs of the county.